The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)

Country of Origin: USA/Germany
Year of Production: 2001
Running Times: 101 mins 38 sec
Length: 9147 feet/2845 metres
Format: Technicolor     35mm
Ratio: 1.37:1 (negative ratio)     1.85:1 (intended ratio)
Sound: DTS mono     Dolby Digital mono     SDDS mono

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: DreamWorks presents in association with VCL a Gravier Production
Executive Producer: Stephen Tenenbaum
Co-Executive Producers: Datty Ruth, Jack Rollins, Charles H. Joffe
Producer: Letty Aronson
Co-Producer: Helen Robin
Production Supervisor: Janice Williams
Assistant Production Coordinator: Diane Sunderlin
Unit Production Manager: Helen Robin

SCRIPT
Script: Woody Allen

DIRECTION
Director: Woody Allen
1st Assistant Director: Sam Hoffman
2nd Assistant Director: Joan G. Bostwick
DGA Trainee: Laurel Cobble

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Zhao Fei
Camera Operator: Michael Green
1st Assistant Camera: David E. Baron
2nd Assistant Camera: Raymond Collins
Camera Loader: David Flanigan
Gaffer: Michael Proscia Jr
Best Boy Electric: Chris Hammond
Key Grip: Jim Pollard
Best Boy Grip: Rory Walsh
Stills: John Clifford
Cameras and Lenses: Panavision
Lab: Du Art Film Laboratories Inc, New York, USA
Prints: Technicolor

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Alisa Lepselter
1st Assistant Editor: Sara Corrigan
Assistant Editor: Jennifer Lilly
Apprentice Editor: Lila Place
Negative Matching: J.G. Films Inc
AVID Equipment: Orbit Digital

MUSIC
Songs: Duke Ellington, Mitchell Parish, Irving Mills (Sophisticated Lady); Frank Loesser, Hoagy Carmichael (Two Sleepy People); Buddy Feyen, William Johnson, Julian Dash, Erskine Hawkins (Tuxedo Junction); Nancy Hamilton, Morgan Lewis (How High The Moon); Albert W. Ketelbey (In a Persian Market); Harry James (Flatbush Flanagan); Frankie Carle, Jack Lawrence (Sunrise Serenade)
Songs Performed By: Duke Ellington (Sophisticated Lady); Earl "Fatha" Hines (Two Sleepy People); Dick Hyman and The Rainbow Room All Stars (Tuxedo Junction; How High The Moon); Wilbur de Paris (In a Persian Market); Harry James (Flatbush Flanagan); Glenn Miller (Sunrise Serenade)
Music Clearances: Jill Meyers

SOUND
Production Sound Mixer: Gary Alper
Boom Operator: Frank Graziadei
Supervising Sound Editor: Robert Hein
Assistant Sound Editors: David Wahnon, Mick Gormaley
Re-Recording Mixers: Michael Barry, Sound One Corp.
Dialogue Editor: Sylvia Menno
Foley Artist: Brian Vancho
Foley Recording Engineer: Ryan Collison
Foley Editor: Todd Milner
Sound Effects Editor: Glenfield Payne
Cable Man: Jerry Yuen
Dolby Stereo Consultant: Brad Hohle

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Make Up: Rosemarie Zurlo, Eva Polywka
Hair: Werner Sherer, Milton Buras
Costume Designer: Suzanne McCabe
Assistant Costume Designers: Jim Hammer, Susan Carrano
Costume Assistants: Marisa Armstrong, Kelly Harrigan, John Mitchell
Wardrobe Supervisors: Melissa Stanton, Michael Adkins
Shop Wardrobe Supervisor: Tom Stokes

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Coordinators: John Ottesen, Ronald Ottesen

VISUAL EFFECTS
Computer Artist: Addison Pettit
Titles And Opticals: John Alagna, The Effects House

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Santo Loquasto
Art Director: Tom Warren
Assistant Art Directors: Mark Bachman, W. Steven Graham, Hinju Kim, Jeffrey D. McDonald
Set Decorator: Jessica Lanier
Assistant Set Decorator: Regina Graves
Property Master: Peter Gelfman
Assistant Property Masters: Eric Cheripka, Robin McAllister
Construction Coordinator: Ronald Petagna
Chief Construction Grip: Vincent Guarriello
Head Carpenter: Frank Didio
Standby Carpenter: Paul Brush
Master Scenic Artist: James Sorice
Scenic Artists: Margot Therre, Chinyere Ryan
Standby Scenic Artist: Cliff Schorr
Art Department Coordinator: Glenn Lloyd
Art Department/Shop Assistants: Gerritt Gillis, Sarah Maine, Renée Plamondon, Carlos Rossi
Lead Man: Daniel K. Grosso

OTHER CREW
Script Supervisor: Kay Chapin
Production Accountant: Pietro Lorino Jr
Payroll Accountant: Steve Guilbaud
Payroll Services: Axium Payroll Services
Assistant to Woody Allen: Sarah Allentuch
Assistant to Zhao Fei: Cary Lin
Set Production Assistants: Philip Douglas, Jason Ivey, Les McDonough, Marcus Patrick Witte
Production Office Assistants: Kate Rorick, Jeremy Walker
Transportation Captain: Peter Tavis
Transportation Co-Captain: John Mulligan
Projectionist: Carl Turnquest Jr
Craft Service: Dedra Mack, Angela Soon
Publicity: PMK Public Relations
Legal Services: Irwin J. Tenenbaum, Louis Spoto, Loeb and Loeb
Parking Coordinator: Leon Adair, Leo Driver
Insurance: AON/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services Inc
Completion Guaranty: International Film Guarantors Inc
Bank Financing: SG London Branch

LOCATIONS
Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA; New York City, New York, USA
Location Manager: Tom Yeager
Location Scouts: Steve Weisberg, Currie Person, Robert Cavalluzzo
Assistant Location Manager: Christie Mullen

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The producers gratefully acknowledge and wish to thank the following for their assistance: The NYC Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting; Robert C. Janiszewski, Hudson County Executive and the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders; Kodak Motion Picture Film and Steve Garfinkle
Copyrights: New York Daily News; John Schneeman Studio; NJ Transit Corporation; Premiere Caterers; Coca-Cola
And also thank: A.B. Dick Company (for the original vintage mimeographs); United Distillers and Vintners, N. America; Stephen Herdemian Antique Jewelry; Hunter Douglas Window Fashions; Amlock Locker Services/ALSS; Bragman, Nyman and Cafarelli; Artistic Office Products; Monterey Fashion; Cartier Inc; Stefanie Hufschmidt; Carmel Malin; Greg Johnson

CASTING
Casting: Juliet Taylor, Laura Rosenthal
Casting Associate: Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto
Extras Casting: Karen E. Etcoff, Kee Casting
Extras Casting Associate: Bill Tripician

CAST
John Tormey (Sam)
John Schuck (Mize)
Woody Allen (CW Briggs)
Elizabeth Berkley (Jill)
Kaili Vernoff (Rosie)
Brian Markinson (Al)
Maurice Sonnenberg, John Doumanian (office workers)
Peter Gerety (Ned)
Helen Hunt (Betty Ann Fitzgerald)
Kevin Cahoon (lunch delivery man)
Phil Levy (Rocky's waiter)
Wallace Shawn (George Bond)
Dan Aykroyd (Chris Magruder)
Vince Giordano, Howard Alden, Ted Sommer, Randy Sandke, Peter Ecklund, Joel Helleny, Chuck Wilson, Ray Beckenstein, Lawrence Feldman, Ken Peplowski (Rainbow Room All Stars)
Dick Hyman (band leader)
David Ogden Stiers (Voltan Polgar)
Carole Bayeux (Voltan's assistant)
Kenneth Edelson, Brian McConnachie, Judy Gold (Voltan's participants)
Herb Lovelle (night guard)
Carmen (Rose Kensington)
Patrick Horgan, Howard Erskine, Ira Wheeler, Tina Sloan (Kensington guests)
Ramsey Faragallah (fingerprint detective)
Bob Dorian (Mike)
Arthur Nascarella (Tom)
Trude Klein (Lottie, Kensington maid)
Charlize Theron (Laura Kensington)
Professor Irwin Corey (Charlie)
Michael Mulheren (Herb Coopersmith)
Peter Linari (Joe Coopersmith)
Ray Garvey (police station cop)
Bruce Brown, Bruce Brown (radio announcers)
Dan Moran (street contact)

PLOT SUMMARY

Long time insurance investigator CW Briggs and new girl Betty Ann Fitzgerald don't see eye to eye. One night, they join colleagues at a stage show put on by Voltan, a magician who uses hypnosis in his act. Briggs and Fitzgerald are hypnotised into committing crimes on Voltan's behalf but have no memory of them. Then Briggs is assigned to investigate the crimes that he himself has been committing...

Germany
Theatrical Distributor: ottfilm GmbH

Italy
Theatrical Distributor: Medusa Distribuzione

Netherlands
Theatrical Distributor: A-Film Distribution

Spain
Theatrical Distributor: Laurenfilm S.A.

UK
Theatrical Distributor: United International Pictures (UK) Ltd

USA
Theatrical Distributor: DreamWorks Distribution LLC
DVD Distributor: Dreamworks (89268)

Canada
Rating: PG

Finland
Rating: S

France
Rating: U

Germany
Rating: 6

Italy
Rating: T

Netherlands
Rating: AL

Peru
Rating: PG

Spain
Rating: T

Switzerland
Rating: 7

UK
Rating: 12A

USA
Rating: PG-13 (for some sexual content)

2001
Catalonian International Film Festival, Sitges, Spain
Gran Angular Award Best Film (Woody Allen) - winner

2000
September
25: USA - filming begins

2001
August
5: USA - shown at the Hollywood Film Festival
24: USA - theatrical release

September
1: Italy - shown at the Venice Film Festival
28: Italy - theatrical release

October
11: Spain - theatrical release
25: Israel - theatrical release

November
22: Czech Republic - theatrical release

December
5: France - theatrical release
6: Germany, Switzerland (German speaking region) - theatrical release
7: Austria - theatrical release

2002
January
10: Greece - theatrical release
29: USA - DVD release (Dreamworks (89268))

February
4: Russia - theatrical release
22: Poland - theatrical release
27: Belgium - theatrical release

March
8: Norway - theatrical release
28: Australia, South Africa - theatrical release
29: Bulgaria - theatrical release

April
25: Denmark - theatrical release

May
16: Netherlands - theatrical release
30: Peru - theatrical release
31: Mexico - theatrical release

June
7: Iceland - theatrical release
20: Argentina - theatrical release

August
16: Finland - theatrical release

September
12: Hungary - theatrical release

November
1: Sweden - theatrical release
3: USA - television broadcast (on HBO/HBOP/HBOHD)

Love stings

Im Bann des Jade Skorpions - German/ Austrian title
El beso del escorpión - Mexican/Peruvian title
La maldición del escorpión de jade - Spanish title
La maledizione dello scorpione di giada - Italian title
Skorpionens forbandelse - Danish title
Le sortilège du scorpion de jade - French title
Woody Allen Fall Project 2000 - working title

LINKS

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Woody Allen: A Life in Film (2002)

MAGAZINES

epd Film vol.18 no.12 (1 December 2001) p.35 (Germany)
review (Woody Allen im Dauer-Clinch mit Helen Hunt by Jan Distelmeyer)

Entertainment Weekly no.610 (24 August 2001) p.100 (USA)
review (Shlub Muffin (C) by Owen Gleiberman)

Entertainment Weekly no.636 (25 January 2002) p.78 (USA)
review (by Caren Weiner Campbell)

film dienst vol.54 no.25 (4 December 2001) pp.26-27 (Germany)
review (by Cornelia Fleer)

Rolling Stone no.876 (30 August 2001) p.132 (USA)
review (by Peter Travers)

Sight and Sound vol.13 no.1 (January 2003) pp.39-40 (UK)
illustrated credits, synopsis, review (by Simon Louvish)

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

adultery, attempted suicide, constantinople, criminals, factories, fireworks, hypnotism, insurance, jails, jewelry, jewels, madagascar, magicians, mindreaders, new york, pendants, police, post-hypnotic suggestion

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009